Fonality Blog | VoIP, Unified Communications, and Business Tips

Peering into the future of 5G

It may seem like just yesterday that we were hearing about the blisteringly fast speeds that 4G mobile internet was about to open up to us. As is so often the case in the tech and IT world, however, the next thing is already just over the horizon, ready to take our data even further into the future.

It's called 5G (believe it or not!), and you can expect to hear a lot more about it in the next few years. For companies who rely on large amounts of data on the go, such as those with mobile-accessible Unified Communications phone systems, the ability to replicate the traditional office environment from anywhere could be set for another huge boost.

The ability to replicate the traditional office environment from anywhere could be set for another huge boost.

What's the big deal with 5G?

If you follow technology development at all, you will probably be aware just how much of a premium is put on increasing speed. Whether it be making mobile apps open and run more quickly, having faster access to relevant information for your business or being able to download new software or data in record time, speed is everything in the modern world.

It's no surprise then that developments like 5G come along so quickly. But just how much faster can we expect the technology to be? Well, according to early studies, the potential jump could be staggering.

The BBC reported in early 2015 that speed tests at the University of Surrey's 5G Innovation Centre had achieved an incredible one terabit per second, a figure so exponentially faster than the best 4G has to offer that it's almost not worth drawing the comparison.

According to OpenSignal, Singapore is home to the fastest 4G network in the world, capable of 38 megabits per second. The speeds achieved in Surrey, meanwhile, translate to one million megabits per second! Perhaps it's becoming clear just how much of a difference the leap from 4G to 5G is going to make.

Your business phone systems could be set to benefit from 5G.

Sounds incredible - so what's next?

Whether or not a consumer-ready version of 5G will reach these almost unfathomable speeds remains to be seen, but the good news is Australians won't have too much longer to wait. The International Business Times reports that the country's biggest mobile carriers are expecting to be ready to switch to the new network as early 2020.

That may seem fairly soon, but it leaves developers and businesses plenty of time to prepare themselves for the new opportunities 5G will offer. Getting your company ready for the future can start today with a cloud-based business phone system. Get in touch with Fonality, and realise the potential of internet-based communications.